Case Number 24153

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN (BLU-RAY)

The Charge

"When things get tricky in my life, I talk to my fish."

Opening Statement

They say money is power and power corrupts, but after a certain point I think
that's wrong. Sure, having millions might corrupt you, but having billions makes
you crazy. At least that's the case if you believe some of the stories coming
out of oil-rich nations where money flows as fast as oil can be pumped from
their otherwise barren deserts. Gold plated everything, a car for each day of
the year, even a manufactured island shaped like the name of a loved one. When
there are that many zeroes to the left of the decimal point, all bets are off.
Though such behavior might be a cause for anger in some, for Lasse
Hallström it's the perfect backdrop for another bittersweet take on the
foibles and follies of humanity. For those well-versed in the director's brand
of sweet sincerity, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is another triumph,
though the unconverted might find it a difficult fish to land.

Facts of the Case

Sheikh Muhammed (Amr Waked, Syriana) loves nothing more than fly
fishing for salmon. Sadly, he lives in Yemen. Of course with his money it's no
deterrent, so he sends his representative (Emily Blunt, The Adjustment
Bureau) to the UK government. In turn, they send their salmon expert (Ewan
McGregor, Shallow Grave), and the process of damming a river begins. Not
everything goes smoothly, however, as terrorists and nature are dead set against
the Sheikh and his assistants.

The Evidence

Though his sentimentality will forever keep him out of the lists of
"director's directors" (despite having a film in the Criterion collection),
Lasse Hallström is nothing if not consistent. Each of his films (at least
the one's I've seen) cleaves pretty closely to their source material. From that
source, he gleans a bittersweet truth about humanity. That's true even of
Haichi, his true-life film about a particularly loyal Japanese dog.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is another opportunity for Hallström
to work his magic. There's the quixotic, semi-absurd story (less absurd than
Haichi, but more absurd than Chocolat). He gets to mix in a dash
of romance, some personal growth, a message about love, and some
environmentalism to boot! It almost goes without saying that the actors give
good performances and the whole film looks impeccable. If you want to see the
kind of kid-gloves material that Hallström displayed in The Cider House
Rules, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen will not disappoint.

This Blu-ray won't disappoint either. The 2.40:1/1080p AVC-encoded high
definition widescreen transfer is near perfect. The whole thing looks very
filmic, with deeply saturated hues and loads of fine detail. Black are
appropriately dark and stable, and neither digital nor compression artifacts are
a problem. The only difficulty is an occasional softness, which is not
pervasive, but keeps the transfer from being completely pristine. The DTS-HD 5.1
Master Audio track is similarly impressive. Dialogue is king, coming through
clean and clear, and balanced with composer Dario Marianelli's score. Even the
surrounds get some use for atmospherics.

Bonus features are limited to two short featurettes. The first is a 13
minute behind-the-scenes look that includes the usual cast/crew interviews and
footage from the film. The second is just shy of four minutes and focuses on
novelist Paul Torday from whose work Simon Beaufoy's screenplay was derived.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

There are two big reasons to object to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.
The first is political. In a world where our environment is being hampered by
the utilization of fossil fuels, and the socio-economic gap between the haves
and have-nots is growing every day, making a film about a Sheikh who wants to
use his money to fund salmon fishing in his desert country seems woefully out of
touch. Even if you buy the weird excuse that he's doing it to help his people,
it's still a really weird way to do so. The counter-argument is either that this
kind of story provides escape from the difficulties of everyday life, or by
showing Yemeni sheikh's to be real people it helps build relations between the
Middle East and the rest of the world. I would almost buy that, but the film is
too focused on the individuals to defend such a position.

Politics aside, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen has a more damning flaw:
Hallström maintains his patented light touch throughout. While that's
totally appropriate for What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a film with a
premise as ridiculous as this demands a more self-aware treatment. I couldn't
help wishing for the deft touch that characterized The Men Who Stare at
Goats. That film had an equally absurd premise (even if it was true), but
the characters and the audience were completely aware of how crazy everything
was, which only made it funnier and more affecting. By keeping this insane
material at arm's length (I mean who builds a salmon fishing spot in Yemen?),
Hallström alienates his viewers on humanistic level, and squanders the
opportunity to really say something about British/Yemini politics, the insanity
money can produce, or what power truly looks like in today's society.

Closing Statement

Taken on the film's own terms, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen succeeds,
but those looking for anything deeper than another Hallström feel-good
flick will likely be disappointed.